Living with high air pollution increases chances of developing long Covid, Spanish study shows

Scientists conducted research on a group of 2,800 people in Catalonia, aged between 40 and 65, who were monitored throughout the coronavirus pandemic

Alfonso Torices

Madrid

Thursday, 28 November 2024, 09:31

People living in areas with higher rates of air pollution are more likely to suffer persistent symptoms of Covid-19, known as long Covid, if they are diagnosed with the virus, according to a new study by scientists in Barcelona.

Spaniards living in these areas where there are significant amounts of air pollution, both tiny PM2.5 and larger PM10, are more likely to suffer Covid-19 symptoms at least five months after the virus is detected, according to the study carried out by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

Experts consider that, although air pollution is not necessarily the direct cause of Covid-19, it would increase the severity of the initial infection, which would then increase the risk of prolonged coronavirus.

The research was conducted on a cohort of 2,800 adults in Catalonia, aged between 40-65, who were monitored throughout the coronavirus pandemic. They had to fill out questionnaires in 2020, 2021 and 2023, questioning whether and what type of Covid-19 infections they had, their vaccination and general health status, and their socio-demographic data. Scientists cross-referenced this data with estimates of exposure to air pollutants, noise, artificial light at night or proximity to green spaces for these same individuals.

One in four people

One in four people in the sample who contracted Covid-19 experienced persistent symptoms for three months or more and 5% had these symptoms for two years or more after initial infection. Women, people with lower levels of education, those with previous chronic conditions and those who had a severe coronavirus infection were at higher risk of developing long Covid, the research shows. Vaccination, on the other hand, had a positive impact where only 15% of vaccinated participants developed long Covid compared to 46% of unvaccinated participants.

The most common symptoms of long Covid are fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive problems such as poor memory or concentration, sleeping difficulties, muscle pain or headache and persistent cough. People can also suffer from loss of taste or smell, or from skin rashes.

Top 50

Reporta un error en esta noticia